Wisc. protesters arrested for filming lawmakers

In a video published to YouTube on Wednesday, several protesters in Madison, Wisconsin are seen being dragged out of the assembly by state police, seemingly because they were filming lawmakers’ deliberations. While the protesters repeatedly insisted that it was their right to film inside the legislature, their concerns were ignored as officers took them away.

Given that the video below is edited, it’s not immediately clear whether any of the protesters had been disruptive prior to the events shown — but for all intents and purposes, it looks as if they were arrested simply for filming.

Officers would seem to be acting on the guidelines of a notice posted outside the assembly, which says that all recording equipment is banned. That would seem to contradict Wisconsin law, which does give them the right to film lawmakers, although it makes an exception for “recording, filming or photographing such a meeting in a manner that interferes with the conduct of the meeting or the rights of the participants.”

About the Author

Stephen C. Webster is the senior editor of Raw Story, and is based out of Austin, Texas. He previously worked as the associate editor of The Lone Star Iconoclast in Crawford, Texas, where he covered state politics and the peace movement’s resurgence at the start of the Iraq war. Webster has also contributed to publications such as True/Slant, Austin Monthly, The Dallas Business Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Weekly, The News Connection and others. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenCWebster.